Muhammad Ali 1974 v Vitali Klitschko 2004

FFS Lennox Lewis made him miss a lot and you think he's going to hit a HW who has the fastest reaction speed of all time..

 

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Wass1985 was right about Ali landing right leads on Vitali all night. Styles make fights as we all know and Ali had the right style to beat VK. VK is a stand straight up fighter with average speed(at best). Sure he's big and durable but I see Ali actually keeping him on the defensive for most of the fight with his hand speed, especially with a fast right lead. The 74 version of Ali still had enough foot speed and reflexes to avoid being caught by anything too damaging from VK while having the hand speed to make him pay when he tries to mix it up. Combine that with Ali's durability and underrated strength and Vitali is in for a long night. It was actually the smaller fighters who gave Ali the most trouble. The taller ones Ali could take care of and Vitali would be one of those as well. Ali by UD.

 

I agree that they brought a type of pressure to the table that Vitali probably wouldn't.. Klit isn't really what I would classify as a pressure fighter.. But his size, reach and outside fighting game would force Muhammad to have to work double time nonetheless. Not saying that Muhammad CAN'T win this fight.. But by 1974 his speed and stamina were diminishing fast.. I hate to make comparisons between Muhammad Ali and Chris Byrd as Byrd was no way shape or form on Ali's level... But at the age of 29 or 30, Chris was a very good boxer and in pretty damn good shape.. Vitali was outlanding him regularly and that was with the use of only one arm..... Not two... Its also not just a matter of Vitali's ability to land on Ali, but also Ali's ability to land on him... Klitschko is very hard to hit flush.. Of course Lennox landed on him often enough and even forced a big cut... But Lewis was a bigger man than Ali and Klitschko was trying to turn that into a slugfest.... Not a boxing match.. Different set of circumstances.. Could Muhammad beat Vitali Klitschko in 1974? Sure its possible he could.... But my money by that point would not be so easily set down and in either case it would be a very hard evening for the greatest.

 

Thanks

 

Vitali was a whopping 1 inch taller than Terrell and had a shorter reach, and we all know how that fight went. What adjustments would he have made?? Alis footwork would make a mockery of him

 

Ali would enjoy a taller and slower target in Vitaly here. His superior handspeed, accuracy and combination punching would give him a distinct advantage and a clear ud. Just a bit too skilled.

 

Vitali has a low hanging left hand which makes him very open to right hands that can reach him.
Since Ali like Lewis also seemed to punch with intent to cut I think a TKO victory for Ali is extremely likely somewhere later in the fight.
(Brittle skin, bad defence on the left side, sharp punches = tko victory for Ali)

Vitali is much better matched against plodders.

 

5 inches taller? If Ali was six three that makes Vitali six eight? What's his reach by the way? For all that vaunted size I remember Chris Byrd reaching him and if Byrd could imagine what a fast Ali with an 80" reach could do? Ali wouldn't be a midget in there after all. Vitali would be in over his head against arguably the greatest HW of all time. Ali by UD or late round stoppage.

 

Reach is misunderstood in boxing. For openers, Vitlai's reach measured from the pit of his arm to his fist is 29.5" on HBO. Wlad's? Just 26"!


In addition as one punches up, they lose striking distance. Vitlai would have a clear edge in striking distance over Ali.


In addition, VK can move his feet well, can counter well, and has quick reflexes, which should not be confused with saying he has great hand speed.

Ali did not look great vs Foreman overall. He was just skilled, and smart, and Foreman was not and tired. Anyone who watched Ali in the mid 70's knows Ron Lyle was ahead of him on points on a fair score card until Ali landed big right hand that lead to the TKO. Vitlai is a much better boxer than Lyle, and likely quicker.

If any one is over their head in this fantasy fight, its the 74 version of Ali.

 

Always hard to match fighters from other era's this is not an easy fight for either man

 

Hate this fight for Ali.

 

74 Ali has enough to win this